Runner attachment for vehicles.



H. G. FRANK. RUNNER ATTACHMENT EOE VEHICLES.

Y @um l 1 y @Ho/mu,

H. G. FRANK. EUNNEE ATTACHMENT PoE VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APRJQ, 1912.

Patented July 29, 1913.

2 snEETs-sEEET zA ."2 lis FRANK, 0F DTEGI, MINHESQT RUNNER TTACHMEN'T FDR VEHIIE.

Specification ofetters Petenn niv To oil-'whom i may io-noem: .lie it known that l, HARLOW G. FRANK, e citizen ot tine Uniifefi States of America, residing et Betroit, in the county of Becker end State of Minnesota, lieve invented new enfi useful improvements '1n dunner Ab tegel ments foi' Veliicleset which the following is e, specification. l, fliis invention relates to improvements in .renners and lies, pericniei application' o Ftrs character which shell include e foi fl nonnen by Ineens oi which the vesicle inejf' ne steei'ed, enel e. 'rear iunnei' inoloding n infector by means of which the vehicle may lie naiven. y

lt is my pnvpose to pi'ovide n de vice of tliis type which may be attached to the venicle enti oonpletl vup to the drivingI ineens tiiei'eoi Without materially oiilingi-ng tlie structure of such vehicle, the ground Wneels seing yeinoved from the vehicle previous to the application of the runners tlieeto. Y

n 'furtlie object of this'invention is the provision oi n innnei acl-opted for ettacliment to velnicleirenie enel having yieldniole connections therewith, so ns to prevent tlie transmission of shocks oi' jess to the opeintei upon the vehicle incident to the lnttei2 meeting inequalities in the roadway in its peti; oi travel. l i The invention has *for e still im'tlnei` obiect tiie provision oit' e i'nnnei:- adapted for attachment to e vehicle fi'emenncl carrying e driving oi' propelling.mechanism which mecl'zzinisin includes e pair of guide rollers, anni e relatively large driving roller clistl piefei'elily intermediate the guide fol ne, on ernlless tractor being trained o er tile soicl rollers and driven from the lining rollerf'so ns to imp-nrt movement' tornent to e vehicle freine and constructed in such manner es to preventr mutilation buckling of suoli runner in the movement of the vehicle. Y lwith the above and othei objects in view7 the invention consists in the consti'notion74 combination and :irrengement of perte here innfteiset ioitli in and falling Within the scope of the appended claims,

ln the accompanying flmvvings tiieire been. illustrated one practical embodiment oi the invention, and in these dreivings; Figure l is n side elevation of a motor diiven vehicle equipped with the present invention. Fig.A 2 of the same. Fig. E is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. .1. Fig. e is pefspectve view of the pilot or steering Fenner, and Fig. is n fragmentary View of e detail of the invention.

liroilei eiei'ence characters designate like throughout the severai views.

in t-lie present instance, the invention shown :is applied to e two Wheel moto? di'iven veiiicle. However, it. is 'to ne nnclen stood that l (lo 'not limit myself to tlie particular application of the invention es embodied in the (Evenings, es l contemplate certain modifications and. changes which may be made in orale? to adept tlie invention to the best eclventnge ecctnftling to the ciicunistances or requirements in parini-cio lei' case.

Referring novv to the accompanying tlm 'Y' ingsQtlie letter A designates the ironie oi' motor driven vehicle. suoli as inotofe;

Wliile B indicates the driving motoi' np n suoli. freinev and provided 'with n flii" .wheel l having connections with nnielntively llarge belt Wheel 2 through the medio i o nn endless belt 3 adopted to impart movement to the 1loelt Wheel from the driving wheel l the Inotoi.V This belt 'vviieel is mount upon a. shaft e jonrnnlecl in suitable been ings in the lovfei eind of the reni' 'forks ff, of the freine Mounted upon the frame A of the vehicle adjacent the motor B is e pedal driven sprocket Wseel 5 having connection by means of an endless chain 6 with a sprocket wheel '7 mounted upon the shaft. l and adapted to impart movement to the -belt Wheel 2 to give the motor B its initial impulse so that the said Vmotoi` may pick up its own cycle of movement, the motor in this instance being in the lform of an ei:-

is s. rear enel elevation lli) plosive engine. Fixed upon the shaft 4 intermediate the sprocket wheel 7 and the belt Wheel 2 and receiving motion from the latter is a small belt Wheel 8 provided upon its periphery with teeth 9 and over which is trained an endless chain belt 10.

Pivotally connected o the lower end of the rear forks a of the vehicle frame and 4upon each side thereof, is a link pla-te 11 each pivotally connected at 12 to an arm 13, which arm extends longitudinally of the. vehicle frame and is connected to the lower bar thereof by means of a spring 14.

The letter R ,denotes the rear runner of the vehicle which includes a pair of spaced parallel vertically arranged yoke members 15- and a frame 16 connected to the lower ends of such yoke members. These yoke members are disposed upon the opposite sides of the vehicle frame and at their upper extremities are provided with ears 17, adapted to be pivotally connected to the. ends of the plate 11 opposite from the coni nections 12 of the links 13, and ears 18 spaced a suitable ,distance from the ears 17 and pivotally connected to the links 13, as at 19, in advance of the connections 12 of such links with the link plate 11. .Thus, it will be seen that by means of the link plate 11 and links 13 and the spring 14, the transmission of shocks .or jars to the frame A of the vehicle from the rear runner is eliminated.

The frame 16 consists of the longitudinal parallel interconnected bars 19 to the upper surfaces of which are connected the yoke members 15 andy from which depend the legs 20, the runners 21 being connected to these legs and /enabling the vehicle to be driven.

over snow and ice.

Depending from the interconnect-ing bar of each yoke member l5 and connected to the respective runner 21, is a standard 22 and journaled iny these standards and extending transversely of the frame 16 is a shaft. 2?), upon which is mounted a .belt wheel 24 provided upon its periphery with teeth 25 and designed to receive the chain belt lt). Loosely encircling the shaft 23 is' a relatively large driving roller or sprocket'. wheel 2G adapted to be drivenfrom the belt wheel 2l, the latter being splined to the shaft 23 for sliding movement so that the saine may be clutched to and unclutched from the driving roller 2G, any suitable form of clutch mechanism heilig employed for this purpose, the movementof the belt wheel 24 being controlled by a lever (not. shown) mounted ad jacent the drivers seat on the frame A. Fixed to each standard 22 upon the inner sides thereof, is a bracket 27 and pivo'ted to such bracket. at diametrically opposite points are arms 28, 28 extending longitudinally of the frame 16 and upon opposite sides of the Standards 22, each pair of arms on the stand-- ards being arranged in parallelism with the arms of the adi entstandard. Journaled in the proximate ends of the arms 28 and upon opposite sides of the driving roller 26, are., guide. rollers 2S), 29 and over these guide rollers and driving roller is trained an endy less tractor 30 in the form of a belt, chain or the. like and provided with teeth 31 adapted to bite into the'ice or snow in the movement of the tractor to impart movement to the vehicle. These arms 28, 28 are normally pressed downwardly by means of springs 32, 32 connected to the brackets 27 and bearing upon t-he upper surfaces of the arms so that the guide rollers 29, 29 will act to hold the tractor at all times in engagement with ythe adjacent surface of the ment of the guide rollers and consequently the tractor, upon the .vehicle meeting obstructions in its patti of travel.

To take up the slack in the drivingibelt ground, such springs also permitting move' 10 in the movement of the runner R relatively to the vehicle frame, an arm 33 is connected to one of the standards 22 in any suitable manner and carries at its free end a spring pressed roller 34 which at all times engages the driving belt 10 and acts thereon to draw the same .inwardly and hold such belt'. taut thereby permitting the `transmission of a positive movement to the driving roller 26 irrespective of the movement of the runner R.

The forward steering or pilot runner is designated at S and consists of a frame conposed of spaced parallel vertical standards 85, 35 interconnected at their upper ends through the medium of a cross,l bar 36 and slidably connected to -the forward forks b of the machine by means of a sliding spring joint 37 so that the runner may move relatively to theV front forks of the frame upon meeting an obstruction or inequality in the travel of the machine. Connected to the lower ends of the standards 35 are runners 3S terminating at their forward ends in upstanding portions 39 interconnected by a cross bar 40. Pivotally connected to this cross bar 40 ,is an arm .41 having its free end also pivotally' connected to a rod 42 secured to the frame lof the vehicle as at 43, such rod and arm being movable relatively to each other and serving to prevent buckling or mutilation of the forward runner in the movement of the machine and in the steering of such machine.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my invention will be readily understood and while I have herein shown and described one form of my invention by way of illustration, it is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as modification and variation may be made Without exceeding the scope of t-he claims or Wit-hout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim; l. The combination with a vehicle frame and driving means on the frame, of a runner, yieldable connections between said runner and frame,isaid connections comprising a link plate pivotally connected atone point to the vehicle frame, and at another point to said runner, an arm pivotally connected to said link plate, pivotal connections between said arm and runner, said larml extending longitudinally of the vehicle frame, and a spring connected to the free end of the arm and to the vehicle frame, a propelling mechanism on said runner, and connections between the driving mechanism on theA frame and said propellingr mechanism.

2. The combination with a vehicle frame and driving means on the frame, of a runner,

connections between said runner andframe,

-and a propelling mechanism on said runner,

to force the guide rollers in one direction, a

driving roller journaled 'in said runner, be-

tween said guide rollers, an endless tractor trained over said driving roller and guide rollers, and driving connections between' the driving means and said driving roller.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' v HARLOW G.' FRANK.-

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. JONES, WILLIAM CALVIN RHODES. 

